Summary:Unsouled
This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of Unsouled, the first book in the Cradle series.
Chapter 1
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Young Lindon undergoes the Spiritual Origin test of Sacred Valley, where young children put their hand into madra to determine whether they are an Enforcer, Striker, Ruler, or Forger. However, the madra does not react to Lindon's hand. As a consequence, the First Elder declares him Unsouled. After two more tests, Lindon receives a wooden badge with a symbol meaning 'empty'. Although Lindon retries the test every half a year, he reaches the age of fifteen without ever causing a reaction.
Chapter 2
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Lindon inscribes a script into a tree to determine if it is an ancestral tree. He discovers that it is shortly before Teris and two other Coppers ran out of the forest, hunting a snowfox. After Lindon questions the legality of their hunt, Teris accuses him of being disrespectful and spots the script on the tree. To punish Lindon, he punches the tree to ruin the script, releasing the tree's remnant in the process. Teris runs away after taking a blow from the remnant and Lindon finishes a script he uses to lure and trap the remnant. Afterwards, he barely manages to retrieve the remnant of the tree's spirit fruit, using a crystal flask of collected madra in the process.
Later, Lindon's family confers about how to use the restored spirit fruit. They agree to split it in three, but Lindon interjects to ask for his own piece.
Chapter 3
- Characters
- Plot Summary
As Seisha points out that splitting the fruit into four pieces would make it useless, Kelsa offers Lindon her stipend in exchange for not receiving the fruit. Lindon retorts that Neither Seisha nor Jaran are likely to advance to Jade, and Kelsa is close enough to Iron that she does not need the whole fruit. He also points out that failing in a tournament against children would be very shameful for the family. Kelsa ultimately splits the fruit in half for her and Lindon. After they describe the sensation to Seisha, Teris shows up at their door to bring Lindon to the First Elder. When they reach the First Elder, Teris describes the events in the forest, and the First Elder punishes him for running rather than protecting Lindon. Teris leaves, and the First Elder chastises Lindon for getting in the Coppers' way. As a nominal punishment, he instructs Lindon to feed Elder Whisper, hoping the snowfox could help more.
Lindon climbs Whisper's tower and goes past the heavy door and script keeping Whisper from leaving. Whisper asks Lindon to tell him the story of how he retrieved the spirit fruit.
Chapter 4
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Lindon tells Whisper about how he got the fruit, and asks advice on how to rise without being permitted to practice sacred arts. Whisper tells Lindon that there is no end to the path towards advancement and that if he cannot find a path, he may have to make his own. Determination sparks in Lindon, and he leaves the tower reflecting on the conversation.
Elder Whisper considers the glimpses of fate he has seen with his dream madra. It is clear to him that a huge threat to Sacred Valley is coming and that Lindon's future is in flux.
The next day, Lindon arrives outside the Hall of Elders for the clan's group cycling and finds most of the clan waiting for Teris' public punishment. Before the First Elder lashed Teris, Teris' father Keth asked that Lindon be punished as well. Although Lindon expected the First Elder to rebuff Keth, Jaran spoke up first. After Jaran and Keth argued, Keth's ten year old daughter Eri challenged Lindon. Lindon accepts the fight, setting it seven days away to surrender. The First Elder whipped Teris.
Lindon worked in the clan archive, collecting possible shortcuts for advancement. After looking through many dead ends, he found a technique requiring no particular aspect called the Heart of Twin Stars.
Chapter 5
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Lindon read the technique manual for the Heart of Twin Stars. The technique was a method of splitting one's core in two. Although Lindon considered this useless, he adopted the cycling method as it was slightly better than his old, Foundation level one. He went home and Kelsa found him to train. They discussed potential strategies for his fight, and Lindon suggested using the technique which inspired the Heart of Twin Stars. Called the Empty Palm, it was designed to disrupt an opponent's core using pure madra. Kelsa practiced on Lindon until she figured out the theory. Lindon took a break during which Kelsa pointed out how much stronger the spirit fruit had made him. Lindon practiced the Empty Palm on Kelsa.
Four days later, the Wei clan gathered at the Hall of Elders for Lindon's fight. Lindon convinced Keth to fight him instead of Eri with the terms of trading blows, one at a time, until one of them lost their footing. Lindon's Empty Palm landed successfully, but Keth did not move. As a consequence, Lindon had to hit him a second time and conceded the duel as a consequence. Keth was enraged, Jaran further mocked him. When Keth attempted to attack Jaran, the First Elder used a powerful technique to subdue him. Lindon determined that the First Elder's power was what he wanted to gain.
Chapter 6
- Characters
- Lindon
- Wei Shi Jaran
- Wei Shi Kelsa (mentioned)
- Wei Mon Keth (mentioned)
- Elder Whisper (mentioned)
- Wei Jin Sairus (mentioned)
- Eighth Elder (mentioned)
- First Elder
- Lisha
- Suriel
- Makiel (mentioned)
- Ozriel (mentioend)
- Plot Summary
Jaran reprimanded Lindon for risking his life and complimented him on his bravery. He explained to Lindon that the Empty Palm was useless without pure madra, and advised that Lindon follow up on his advantage. After considering several possibilities, he decided to go to the First Elder and ask for a prize of some kind. The elder discussed a scroll from the Heaven's Glory School requesting assistance with recent abduction of students. They changed to discussing the Seven-Year Festival. Lindon pointed out that he would bring honor to the Wei Clan by winning in the exhibition match against a Copper, convincing the First Elder to allow him to study the Path of the White Fox.
Suriel arrived in Cradle, and her Presence suggested several possible purposes. She considered the search for Ozriel and decided to try solving a problem, eventually settling on stopping an ascended sacred artist from taking over Sacred Valley.
Chapter 7
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Lindon focuses harder on training for the Seven-Year Festival. During one of his training sessions with Kelsa, she begins advancing to Iron. He gets his parents, who run with him to Kelsa. Lindon is struck by madra rippling out from Kelsa and experiences hallucinations. Kelsa confirms that she successfully advanced, and the Wei clan celebrates that night.
Later, Lindon lies his way into the arena for the festival. After examining the arena, he tracks down remnant hornets in the woods. He offers them madra in exchange for waiting to assist him in the festival, which they agree to. Lindon returns to the arena and started to bury the jar of hornets when his mother arrives.
Chapter 8
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 9
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 10
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 11
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 12
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 13
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 14
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 15
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 16
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 17
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 18
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 19
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Chapter 20
- Characters
- Plot Summary
Epilogue
- Characters
- Plot Summary
